A number of Windows users complain about the appearance of error 0x80040801 when they try to update the Google Chrome browser to the latest version. As a rule, Windows 10 owners suffer from this problem, but the error occurs on older versions of Microsoft OS.
Reasons for the appearance of 0x80040801 in the Chrome browser
After thoroughly examining the problem, we came to the conclusion that the error 0x80040801 can be caused by the following reasons:
- Google update service has been deactivated. This error appears if the service responsible for installing the latest Google Chrome updates has been disabled on the user’s system. This often happens after the launch of “optimizers” – programs that supposedly increase the speed of the computer.
- Google update service has been blocked by the system firewall. According to users on the network, the error can occur if the system firewall suddenly (!) Decides to block the network connection between “googleupdate.exe” (ie the update service) and the servers from which the browser updates are downloaded.
- Corrupted Chrome browser files. The appearance of such errors can be caused by damage to the files of the Google Chrome browser itself. A number of users on the network claim that they managed to get rid of the error by completely reinstalling Chrome and resetting the profile cache in the browser.
We found out why 0x80040801 occurs – let’s see how you can get rid of it. Each of the methods has been tested – you can be sure of their effectiveness.
How to get rid of 0x80040801 in Chrome browser
Method # 1 Forced start of the Google update service
Before we get into anything more serious, you need to understand if the Google update service works on your PC at all. But why could she stop working? Most often this happens due to the fault of the software, which has access to system settings – the so-called “optimizers” that increase the performance of the PC.
Try this:
- disable software that can potentially change the settings of your Windows;
- press the WIN + R combination on the keyboard to bring up the “Run” window;
- insert the value “services.msc” into a blank line and press ENTER;
- find “Google Update Service (gupdate)” in the list and double-click on it with LMB;
- select Automatic (Delayed Start) from the drop-down menu;
- click the “Apply” and “OK” buttons;
- set exactly the same parameters for the “Google Update Service (gupdatem)”;
- close all open windows and restart your PC.
Run the Chrome update again and check for error 0x80040801.
Method # 2 Placing Google Update Services in the Firewall Exception List
If the first method didn’t help you, then it’s time to turn your attention to the Windows system firewall, which may have started blocking the network connections of the above services to Google servers. It is enough to add these services to the firewall exceptions, and the trick is in the bag! Here’s how you can do it:
- press the WIN + S combination to bring up the Windows system search engine;
- insert the value “Windows Defender Firewall” into the search box and select the found result;
- click on the item “Allow interaction with the application or components in the Windows Defender Firewall”;
- click on “Change settings” to be able to change the firewall settings;
- find the executable file “googleupdate.exe” in the list and allow it to exchange data over private and public networks (check the corresponding columns);
- after adding Google services to the list of exceptions, click “OK” and close the firewall window;
- restart your PC.
Check if the error 0x80040801 disappeared when you update Google Chrome or not.
Method # 3 Complete reinstallation of the Chrome browser
If the previous two methods did not help you, then there is only one thing left: to do a complete reinstallation of Google Chrome, at the same time deleting the browser profile cache. Why delete the cache if you will be using the same profile anyway? The fact is that it can periodically become damaged or it can become too much, which causes certain problems, including error 0x80040801.
To uninstall Chrome from your PC, you need to do the following:
- press WIN + R to call the “Run” window;
- insert the value “appwiz.cpl” into a blank line of the window and press ENTER;
- find “Google Chrome” in the list, select it with LMB and click on the “Delete” button;
- follow the directions in front of you to get rid of the old version of the browser;
- call the “Run” window again;
- copy the value “% localappdata%” into an empty line and press ENTER;
- go to the “Google” folder and delete the “Chrome” folder in it;
- go to following linkto download the installer for the current version of Google Chrome;
- click on the file “ChromeSetup.exe” RMB and select “Run as administrator”;
- do whatever the installer requires of you to install Google Chrome.
Delete profile cache, a fresh version of the browser is installed – error 0x80040801 in Google Chrome should be done.